Muga Gathi (Sprouted Green Gram Curry)

Muga Gathi is a traditional Goan dish. It is a mild spicy, no onion no garlic dish and specially prepared for religious ceremonies or pooja. It is served with puris or rice vade or as a side with rice and varan etc. It is best enjoyed when the meal is served on a banana leaf.

Measurement: 1Cup = 180 ml

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1. Moong (green gram) – 1 to 1 1/4 cup
2. Coconut (scrapped) – 1 1/4 cup
3. Cloves – 2 to 3 (optional)
4. Peppercorns – 10 to 12
5. Coriander seeds – 1 1/4 tsp
6. Hing (shankar chhap) – a tiny piece
7. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
8. Green chillies (slit) – 3
9. Tamarind – marble sized ball
10. Jaggery (grated) – as per your requirement
11. Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
12. Salt to taste

For the tempering:

1. Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
3. Curry leaves – 10 to 12
4. Hing powder – a pinch

Procedure

• Wash and soak moong at night. Drain in the morning and keep them tied till evening. Again soak them at night (use a big vessel for soaking). Next morning remove the peels, most of the peels would be floating.
• Cook them in a thick bottomed vessel or you could even pressure cook them, but it is little risky as they get over cooked easily. Excessive water (stock) need not be discarded, it is used for making Saar.
• In the meantime, heat oil in a kadai and add cloves, peppercorns, hing and coriander seeds. Fry till they give out aroma. Take them out.
• In the same kadai, stir fry coconut till it turns golden brown.
• Grind the roasted spices, coconut, tamarind and turmeric powder by adding sufficient water to a fine paste.
• When moong are slightly cooked, add green chillies.
• When they are cooked nicely, add salt and stir well simmer for a min.
• Add ground paste, jaggery and little more salt.
• Stir well and simmer for 2 to 3 min.
• Heat oil in a tempering pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Pour the tempering over muga gaathi.
• Serve with puri, rice vade or with rice and varan/ uddamethi/ toi.

Tip

• If you don’t have shankar chhap hing, then use regular hing powder in a little more quantity for the tempering.
• Red chillies may also be used for grinding.
• I prepare these sprouted moong in another style called moonga gashi.

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